Founded by Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson, former Alvin Ailey dancers and frequent contributors to the hit TV show So You Think You Can Dance, New York-based Complexions Contemporary Ballet's groundbreaking mix of methods, styles and cultures creates thought-provoking, entertaining and accessible work. The company's highly trained classical and contemporary dancers combine the best of athleticism and lyricism in this program of works choreographed by Rhoden.

Reviews & Ratings

I attended the Saturday afternoon performance of COMPLEXIONS and all I can say is, San Diego was very lucky to have had them come here for two shows. COMPLEXIONS is a world class ballet organization and they presented a wonderful program including a very interesting pre-show talk with co-artistic director Dwight Rhoden. Anyone who has even a passing interest in dance would have found that talk between Mr.Rhoden and Peter Kalivas worth the price of admission alone. The company to the last dancer was absolutely terrific. I saw COMPLEXIONS about a year ago in Portland Oregon in a 2200 seat theater and it was a real pleasure to see them here in our own Birch Auditorium. I hope they will make San Diego a regular stop on their tours.

I attended the matinee this past Saturday. I had expected great performances given the background of the dancers. I was disappointed in several things. The lighting on the stage was very harsh, and I was unable to see any of the dancer's faces,...continued

My daughter and I attended the matinee performance of Complexions and we were blown away! What an incredible company this is. We hadn't seen them perform previously and I hope the San Diego ballet audience will have many opportunities in the...continued

I thought it was a wonderful performance. I agree with another reviewer here that the 3rd act was the best. But, I thought the theater was comfortable and even though we had seats in the C section, we could see very well. My friend and I...continued

Quotes & Highlights

“. . .hailed as two of the greatest virtuosos ever to emerge from Ailey land — Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson.” —_The New York Times _
Learn more about Complexions Contemporary Ballet at the company’s website.
Watch a montage video of the dance company on Vimeo.
See the preshow Prelude at 1:00pm: Peter Kalivas discusses how Complexions Contemporary Ballet works to challenge traditions and expectations of dance while celebrating its past, representing its present and carving its future.

Description

Program:

Moon Over Jupiter

—Intermission—

_On Holiday

Goldberg Variations

Moody Booty Blues_

—Intermission—

_Rise _

It is artistic directors Desmond Richardson and Dwight Rhoden’s lifelong appreciation for the artistic and aesthetic appeal of the multicultural that forms the cornerstone of Complexions Contemporary Ballet’s singular approach to reinventing dance. Founded by the two former Alvin Ailey members in 1994, Complexions’ groundbreaking mix of methods, styles and cultures has created an entirely new and exciting vision of human movement over the past decade‐and‐a-half.

The company’s foremost innovation is that dance should be about removing boundaries, not reinforcing them. Whether it be the limiting traditions of a single style, period, venue or culture, Complexions transcends them all, creating an open, continually evolving form of dance that reflects the movement of our world — and all its constituent cultures — as an interrelated whole.

It is Rhoden and Richardson’s unique career paths that have paved the way for them to redefine dance — as their multifaceted resumes will show, neither has ever been comfortable with his art being placed in a box. Instead, from E! to PBS to VH1, from Cirque de Soleil to the Joffrey

Ballet, the two have allowed the transformative power of their art to flow freely throughout the entertainment world — their creative vision restricted by nothing but the limits of the human body itself.

Together, Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson have created in Complexions an institution that embodies its historical moment, a sanctuary where those passionate about dance can celebrate its past while simultaneously building its future. In the 15 years since its inception, the company has born witness to a world that is becoming more fluid, more changeable and more culturally interconnected than ever before — in other words, a world that is becoming more and more like Complexions itself.

About the Ticket Supplier: La Jolla Music Society

La Jolla Music Society contributes to San Diego’s cultural vitality year-round through a variety of concert genres, including classical, jazz and contemporary music, ballet and modern dance. The Society’s signature event each year is the acclaimed SummerFest, a three-week chamber music festival of performances, live broadcasts, open rehearsals, educational encounters, pre-concert talks, and social events.